Unnumbered source etymology
Original entry ↗noun
An overcomplicated task, especially one perceived as a waste of time. · A state of confused or frantic activity. · A puff of smoke; a gust of wind.
verb
Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventoryTo blow in puffs, blow gently. · To move (something) with a puff of air, to blow away. · To waste time on an unproductive activity.
Originally imitative of wind or puffs of air (see verb senses "to blow in puffs", "to move with a puff of air"). The noun is formed from the verb by conversion.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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